Follow-up contacts with virtual world participants

• US 20060235791A1
• Filed: 04/15/2005
• Published: 10/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Jung, Edward K.Y., Levien, Royce A., Malamud, Mark A., Rinaldo, John D. Jr.
• Application Number:
  US11/107,381
• Publication Number:
  US 20060235791A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/39
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03

Abstract

A method and system provides arrangements creating a relationship between a real-world entity and a virtual world environment. A participant or player can participate in various virtual world activities including transactions to acquire virtual products, virtual services, and/or virtual items of value. Feedback may be provided and records kept regarding the virtual world activities and transactions. The participant or player may also have an opportunity of engaging in related real-world activities and transactions. In some implementations, multiple players at different locations can be involved in the virtual world and real-world activities and transactions. Some embodiments include arrangements for real-world informational data to be made available in the virtual world environment to a participant or player, based on virtual world activities related to a topic of interest to a real-world entity.

Claims

1. A method of creating a relationship between a real-world entity and a virtual world environment, comprising:

establishing that one or more settings in the virtual world environment involve a topic of interest to the real-world entity;

requesting an identification of a participant or player who participates in the topic at the one or more virtual world settings; and

arranging for real-world informational data pertinent to the topic to become available to the participant or player.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said arranging for real-world informational data includes:

directing the real-world informational data to be displayed or distributed in the virtual world environment.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said arranging for real-world informational data includes:

directing the real-world informational data to be displayed or distributed in a real-world environment.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said arranging for real-world informational data includes:

directing a communication to be sent to the participant or player, wherein the communication includes advertising and/or purchasing and/or publicity information related to the topic.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said directing the communication includes:

directing the communication to a different virtual world setting in which the participant or player is participating in a related topic.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein said directing the communication includes:

offering to the participant or player a real-world value benefit and/or real-world discount related to the topic.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said offering to the participant or player includes:

offering the real world value benefit and/or real-world discount based on a performance record of the participant or player for the topic at the one or more settings in the virtual world environment.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said arranging for real-world informational data includes one or more of the following:

sending an email message;

sending a telephone message;

sending a postal message;

making a delivery;

sending a representative;

displaying a pop-up message;

displaying a hyperlink;

displaying a menu prompt;

downloading an informational file;

activating a virtual character;

placing a virtual object;

adding the participant or player to a database;

adding the participant or player to a mailing list;

adding the participant or player to a contact list;

requesting information from the participant or player; and

communicating information about the participant or player to a third party.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said establishing that one or more virtual world settings involve the topic includes:

establishing that the topic is a virtual product and/or service and/or item and/or activity.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said requesting the identification of the participant or player includes:

requesting that a real-world identity associated with the participant or player be ascertained.

11. The method of claim 10 herein said requesting that the real-world identity be ascertained includes:

requesting that one or more of the following types of real-world identity characteristics be ascertained;

real-world name, real-world postal address, real-world email address, real-world age, real-world gender, real-world languages known, real-world educational level, real-world demographic profile, identity photographs, marital status, family members, friends, social network, real-world interests, real-world hobbies, products owned, wish lists, career, personality attributes, behavioral attributes, academic level, real-world activity profile, group memberships, organization affiliations, websites, and website shopping cart contents.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein said requesting the identification of the participant or player includes:

requesting that a virtual world identity of the participant or player be ascertained.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said requesting that the virtual world identity be ascertained includes:

requesting that one or more of the following types of virtual world identity characteristics be ascertained;

virtual world name, virtual world message address, virtual world character identity, virtual world avatar, virtual world role, virtual world demographic profile, virtual world memberships, clan affiliations, guild affiliations, aliases, disguises, friends, social networks, item inventory, wish lists, activity history, participation frequencies, purchases, sales, agenda, quest, goals, permissions, personality attributes, behavioral attributes, and academic level.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving information regarding a particular type of participation activity by the participant or player at the one or more virtual world settings.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said receiving information includes:

receiving information regarding one or more of the following particular types of participation activity by the player or participant;

selling, buying, acquiring, wearing, driving, competing, traveling, role playing, sharing, winning, losing, learning, worshipping, communicating, observing, journaling, blogging, joining, helping, selecting, requesting, sending, recording, copying, printing, storing, constructing, planting, and creating.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein said establishing that one or more virtual world settings involve the topic includes:

evaluating participation activities at one or more virtual world settings owned, operated or controlled by one of the following;

the real-world entity, third party real-world entity, real-world person, virtual world provider, game world operator, third party virtual entity, virtual world player, virtual world participant, fictional character, and virtual world avatar.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein said evaluating participation activities includes:

evaluating participation activities at one or more of the following types of virtual world settings;

locational, situational, social, conversational, temporal, event-based, link-based, spectator, performer, audio, video, and textual.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein said establishing that one or more virtual world settings involve the topic includes:

evaluating participation activities involving one or more of the following;

vehicles, clothing, costumes, restaurants, food, tools, gadgetry, jewelry, precious metals, housing, furnishings, hunting, environment, ecology, politics, sports, races, competitions, combat, battles, survival, achievements, opportunities, challenges, character choices, training, government, academics, education, careers, jobs, journeys, attendance, entertainment, amusement, parties, shopping, reading, calculating, analysis, healthcare, sharing, communication, music, philanthropy, religion, socializing, companionship, dating, lovemaking, gambling, lotteries, tests, awards, gifts, barter, negotiations, sales, purchases, services, loans, journaling, record keeping, posting information, networking, and building.

19. A method for helping a real-world entity to interact with a virtual world participant or player, comprising:

establishing that a category of products and/or services and/or items and/or activities, which is a category of interest to the real-world entity, is related to a topic in a virtual world environment; and

making arrangements for real-world informational data, which pertains to such category, to be displayed or distributed to the participant or the player who engages in the virtual world environment in some participation activity involving the topic.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

requesting an identification of the participant or the player who engages in the participation.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising:

confirming that a virtual world identity of the participant or player has been obtained.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein said confirming includes:

making a record of the virtual world identity of the participant or player.

23. The method of claim 20 wherein said requesting the identification includes:

confirming that a real-world identity of the participant or player has been obtained.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein said confirming includes:

making a record of the real-world identity of the participant or player.

25. The method of claim 19 wherein said making arrangements for real-world informational data includes:

directing that a communication be sent by or on behalf of the real-world entity to the participant or player, wherein the communication includes advertising and/or purchasing and/or publicity information regarding the category.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein said directing that the communication be sent includes:

directing that the communication be sent to the virtual world environment.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein said directing that the communication be sent to the virtual world environment includes:

directing that the communication be sent during a time period in which the participant or player is engaged in the participation activity involving the topic.

28. The method of claim 26 wherein said directing that the communication be sent to the virtual world environment includes:

directing that the communication be sent during a time period in which the participant or player is not engaged in the participation activity involving the topic.

29. The method of claim 26 wherein said directing that the communication be sent to the virtual world environment includes:

directing that the communication be sent in a time period during which the participant or player is engaged in a different participation activity involving another topic related to the category of interest.

30. The method of claim 26 wherein said directing that the communication be sent to the virtual world environment includes one or more of the following types of communications:

displaying a pop-up message;

displaying a hyperlink;

displaying a menu prompt;

downloading an informational file;

activating a virtual character;

placing a virtual object;

adding the participant or player to a database;

adding the participant or player to a mailing list;

adding the participant or player to a contact list;

requesting information from the participant or player; and

communicating information about the participant or player to a third party.

31. The method of claim 25 wherein said directing that the communication be sent includes:

directing that the communication be sent to the real-world environment.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein said directing that the communication be sent to the real-world environment includes one or more of the following types of communications:

sending an email message;

sending a telephone message;

sending a postal message, making a delivery, sending a representative, adding the participant or player to a database;

adding the participant or player to a mailing list;

adding the participant or player to a contact list;

requesting information from the participant or player; and

communicating information about the participant or player to a third party.

33. The method of claim 26 incorporated as program instructions in one or more computer program products.

34. The method of claim 33 wherein the one or more computer program products comprise a carrier medium for encoding the program instructions.

35. A database system for informational data regarding a relationship between a real-world entity and a virtual world environment, comprising:

first database records storing identity information for a participant or player in the virtual world environment;

second database records storing virtual world participation activity information for the participant or player, wherein the participation activity involves a topic of interest to the real-world entity; and

computer means operably connected to said first and second database records for processing information that enables communications to be directed to the participant or player, which communications include real-world informational data that relates to the topic of interest.

36. The database system of claim 35 wherein said first database records store a virtual world address and/or one or more virtual world identity characteristics for the participant or player.

37. The database system of claim 35 wherein said first database records store one or more of the following types of virtual world identity characteristics:

virtual world name, virtual world message address, virtual world character identity, virtual world avatar, virtual world role, virtual world demographic profile, virtual world memberships, clan affiliations, guild affiliations, aliases, disguises, friends, social networks, item inventory, wish lists, activity history, participation frequencies, purchases, sales, agenda, quest, goals, permissions, personality attributes, behavioral attributes, and academic level.

38. The database system of claim 35 wherein said first database records store a real-world address and/or one or more real-world identity characteristics for the participant or player.

39. The database system of claim 35 wherein said first database records store one or more of the following types of real-world identity characteristics:

real-world name, real-world postal address, real-world email address, real-world age, real-world gender, real-world languages known, real-world educational level, real-world demographic profile, identity photographs, marital status, family members, friends, social network, real-world interests, real-world hobbies, products owned, wish lists, career, personality attributes, behavioral attributes, academic level, real-world activity profile, group memberships, organization affiliations, and website shopping cart contents.

40. The database system of claim 35 wherein said computer means processes information that enables the communications including advertising and/or purchasing and/or publicity information related to the topic of interest.

41. The database system of claim 35 wherein said computer means processes information that enables the communications to be displayed or distributed in the virtual world environment.

42. The database system of claim 35 wherein said computer means processes information that enables the communications to be displayed or distributed in a real-world environment.

43. A computer program product having one or more computer programs for executing a computer process, wherein the computer process comprises:

maintaining a first set of records storing identity information for a participant or player in the virtual world environment;

maintaining a second set of records storing virtual world participation activity information for the participant or player involved with a topic of interest to a real-world entity; and

accessing the first and second set of records to obtain informational data for enabling a communication to be sent to the participant or player, wherein the communication includes real-world informational data relating to the topic.

44. The computer program product of claim 43 wherein said maintaining the first set of records includes:

storing an address existing in the virtual world environment, which address is associated with the participant or player.

45. The computer program product of claim 43 wherein said maintaining the first set of records includes:

storing an address existing in a real-world environment, which address is associated with the participant or player.

46. The computer program product of claim 43 wherein said wherein said accessing the first and second set of records includes:

obtaining informational data for enabling a communication to be sent to the participant or player, which communication includes advertising and/or purchasing and/or publicity information related to the topic.

47. The computer program product of claim 43 wherein the one or more computer programs include a carrier medium that carries or stores encoded program instructions for executing the computer process.